I'm bored and want to buy a car (I am really into cars and don't car for much else, like mortgages and stuff).


I'm only 22 and can afford something reasonably good (let's say I could afford a 1993 ish 500SL or 2000ish E320).


I like Mercedes but it's not that sensible to buy another German saloon car like the one I already have ('86 190E)... and feel there's few other MBs with as good a match of quality/ride/handling/economy anyway. And I wouldn't mind a manual 'box either.



So right now I REALLY want a Honda NSX ("Acura NSX"?!), but people (including myself) say I'll get speeding tickets and won't be happy to pay the 'exotic' prices for parts/tyres/etc especially as it's a pretty rare and now quite old supercar and I'd be better off with, say, an S2000 or Lotus Elise.


But I WANT an NSX! But still the questions hover in the back of my mind...
What advice can you guys give me? Have you followed your dreams when younger? Would you go back a few years and tell your youthful self not to splash out on that 240Z/911/Corvette and save for a mortgage? Or would you do it again and leave even more smoky rubber ?


I'm interested in your insights,


Russ

P.S. I have a girlfriend so don't need the chick magnet thing. Also was born equipped with a lady-pulling Hugh-Grant-like British accent anyway.

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190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

Isn't it kinda pointless using a British accent on women who have the same accent?

I NSX'es are good cars as far as I know. I am sure it has the refinement and polish of any Honda regardless of whatever brand the marketing team came up with. If you have the money to burn and have more of it by all means buy one but then again if you don't, the car depreciates and you're just burning your financial resources should you decide to buy a home or property later.

Equity or fast car.....hmmm

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Buy the house, then the car. Trust me. I'm 40 and owned far more cars than houses and if I'd had my head screwed on straight I'd have bought houses instead of cars. Besides, with a mortage the interest you write off while living in the house you can pay for (depending on your tax braket of course) a pretty nice car every year.

Having seen the NSX's ripping around the local road coures I can say they look like a lot of fun but so do a bunch of other cars at a far lower cost. The NSX was not an impressivly powerful car to begin with.

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If you want an NSX and can afford an NSX then get an NSX....

do your research before hand and know what you need to look for....and look out for. Personally I will argue dumping that money in a 401K would be a far smarter thing to do at your age.....

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Basically, I hate you. Let's put that aside for a moment.

Wisdom insists that you save some money now and let compound interest begin to work for you early rather than having to save massive amounts later to carry into your (well-deserved) dotage.

Your girl likes you with your present car so no need to upgrade the car unless you're looking to upgrade to girlfriend 2.0

So keep the 190 a couple of more years and put the equiv of what you'd spend on the new car into savings. That's say, US$15K - $20K? That puts you at 24 or 25 and I assume you'll not be earning less money, so you can still buy a nice car in 2 years and keep the girlfriend and nice little car you presently have AND have a nice start on an investment that will appreciate regardless of any additional money you pump in after you start paying for the new car.

Send me US$1,000 for my (nearly) priceless advice. I'm dying with envy, here.

Bot

Maybe I'm living in the sticks here but WTF is an NSX?

Think of what you could buy for say $30,000 US,especially now that the Euro is gonna take a nosedive with this union nonsense with France,Netherlands, ET,AL.

You could get a Riley 9 Brooklands, Austin 7 Ulster, Tourist Trophy MG, why even a Theophile Schneider 12-50, not to mention a decent Delage DISS!
All of which combine fast acceleration with excellent mechanical finish.

How could you compare some tin Nipponese sh-tbox with these durable and fast classics?

Or am I the one in the ivory tower http://http://www.prewarcar.com/searchbymake.asphttp://www.prewarcar.com/searchbymake.asp

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http://www.fantasycars.com/Acura_NSX/acura_nsx.html

Nice car but if I had the money it would go straight to retirement plan and not one of those..............

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

dude, i'm 21 and my face is now green after reading your post. I'm struggling to maintain an acura integra properly and afford my 420 dollar a month rent bill, you lucky dog you. That NSX is sweet, and lord knows if i had the money i'd definately get one, but a house would be more important to me. I hate apartment living, all the people around you, can't stomp around drunk at 1 in the morning, it sux. If you already have a house then go for it man, its a hella-sick car, and i'm sure you'd love every minute driving it.
Ryan

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

Ok, man, I see your point.

However where there's a will there's a way.

Guy down the block has an MG TF project his wife won't let him complete,$2,000.

When I was younger I would jump at it,rebuild the motor,stretch new leather over the seats,[probably $2,500 if you do the motor assembly and other labour yourself] Then I'd shoot colour onto it,have myself a decent car worth between $17,000-$20,000.

Used to do it all the time, I just traded up over the years.

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My advice (which may be worthless) is; take advantage of your youth and buy what you want. Might you be making a mistake? Sure. But thats how we learn. What better excuse is there than saying - I was young and foolish.

And trust me.....there will be no "buying what you want" if that girlfriend turns into a wife.

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Pxland

2001 Honda Accord

1995 Jeep Cherokee

1973 MB 280SEL 4.5

You could be hit by a dump truck 1 minute from now, life insurance is for the future, your income is for today.

I say buy it. I bought the cars I could afford and always wanted when I was younger, namely MG's. No NSX but great for the city and cool if you ask me. I've went through this conversation recently with a friend of mine. I bought a house in law school, and then a rental house that was finally rented out after I worked on it for almost 6 months. My friend lives in an apartment. He had a '98 Mustang GT. He loves Mustangs, and ordered an '05 GT convertible. Its a great car, not for me but perfect for him.

So, here I am with equity out the yazoo and a couple of beat up old cars. Here's him with no equity and a major loan and a major payment and a convertible with no garage to keep it in. I told him the same thing...why don't you buy a house and then start buying cars if you really want one. Or, wait until '06, and buy the '05 for a lot less. He wouldn't have it. The bottom line is neither of us is happier than the other. If you have the opportunity to get something that will really make you happy then go for it. The thing is, what really makes you happy has a way of changing over time. I'm still looking for a 944 turbo-my dream car for less than 10K. Thats my personal limit for a car-any car.

Take your money down to www.hitechmotorsport.com or www.lingenfelter.com and tell them to give you as much speed as the money you have will buy.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Honda NSX's are really cool and under valued cars. If they had a different badge on the hood they would be far more valuable. They seem pretty reliable their are a few running around town, they seem to be used as daily drivers. It is a Honda V6 so if you don't mention NSX you can probably get parts at regualar Honda prices. Unless it is an NSX specific part then you pay.

However in my area nice ones still are like $30k+, and a nice S600 can be had for mid to high teens. Personaly I would prefer a V12 Merc, you could even get a cool older 911 or 308.

At your age, (I will be their soon 19 now) I would buy a house though. Invest and work now so in a few years you can just buy a new Ferrari every few years and make money on it. I look forward to the day when I will be able to buy and dump a new S class every couple of years.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

My sis just sold her NSX. She loved it but it was getting old to her and they were becoming a little more common. Now she has a 911, go figure.

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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